Growing Up Fatherless in Antiquity [Paperback]

This book investigates the effects of fatherlessness on the societies, cultures, politics and families of the ancient Mediterranean world.Probably one-third of all children under fifteen in the ancient Mediterranean world were raised by single mothers, relatives, or step-parents. This book assesses the wide-ranging impact such high levels of chronic father-absence had on the societies, cultures, politics and families of this world.Probably one-third of all children under fifteen in the ancient Mediterranean world were raised by single mothers, relatives, or step-parents. This book assesses the wide-ranging impact such high levels of chronic father-absence had on the societies, cultures, politics and families of this world.As the changes in the traditional family accelerated toward the end of the twentieth century, a great deal of attention came to focus on fathers, both modern and ancient. While academics and politicians alike singled out the conspicuous and growing absence of the modern father as a crucial factor affecting contemporary family and social dynamics, ancient historians and classicists have rarely explored ancient father-absence, despite the likelihood that nearly a third of all children in the ancient Mediterranean world were fatherless before they turned fifteen. The proportion of children raised by single mothers, relatives, step-parents, or others was thus at least as high in antiquity as it is today. This book assesses the wide-ranging impact high levels of chronic father-absence had on the cultures, politics, and families of the ancient world.List of figures; List of tables; List of contributors; Acknowledgements; Note on abbreviations; Introduction: 1. Fatherless antiquity? Perspectives on 'fatherlessness' in the ancient Mediterranean Sabine R. H?bner and David M. Ratzan; Part I. Coping with Demographic Realities: 2. The demographic background Walter Scheidel; 3. Oedipal complexities Mark Golden; 4. Callirhoe's dilemma: remarriage and stepfatherslc{